Page 135 of Enthrall Shadows
“Henry, talk.”
“She wants money to help save this place from property developers. Reese brought us all the way out here to see their work.”
I faced him. “I figured.”
“She went into detail about why she disappeared. Gave a lame excuse.”
I gave a nod to encourage him to keep talking.
His gaze lingered on my breasts and then took in the rest of me. “You’re the only good thing in this hellhole.”
“This is a nature preserve. They’re doing good work.” I turned off the faucet.
“On their side so quickly?”
“It’s terrible what Reese did, and most people wouldn’t forgive that. But she was much younger. She’s not the same person now.”
“It’s like the Reese I once knew is gone.”
“That’s me, too.” I moved closer to him, my self-consciousness gone. “I hardly recognize the girl I once was.”
He twisted off his faucet.
“You’ve changed, too,” I added. “You’re honoring what it is to be a Cole.”
He held out his arms. “Body warmth?”
I padded closer, leaning into him, trying to keep our hips apart for decency’s sake. His arm curled around my waist and he yanked me against him, his heat welcome as I surrendered to being crushed in his strong embrace. I was pressed against a wall of pure muscle, his erection hard at my belly.
“Something good has come out of this,” he whispered. “Getting to know you better.”
“I want to protect you.”
“Don’t need protecting.”
I pressed my palm over his heart. Warmth saturated my hand and I kept it there to make my point.
“I’ve survived worse,” he said.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve lived with this a long time, always wondering, feeling that same guilt. This is liberating.” His mouth curled at the edges. “For so many reasons.”
“We’re still getting acquainted.”
He let me go and stepped back. “You’re allowed to have doubts.”
“What I mean is that I really like you, but I respect how complicated this is.”
“It’s you I want.” He studied my reaction.
This felt supersonic fast, and it scared me.
He gave a ghost of a smile. “You wish that wall would come back up?”
“Never.”
He walked over to a stack of towels and picked one, unfolding it. “Come here.”
